15-Minute Cages Being Built in The Netherlands – Update from Maartje van den Berg

22.10.2024 | www.kla.tv/30827

D: Well, we're so happy to be in Amsterdam with Maartje Van den Berg. Martje, thank you for inviting us and agreeing to the interview. M: Yeah, and thank you for having me and bringing attention to this subject of our so -called smart cities. D: Yes, let's get right into it. What does a 15 -minutes city look like in Holland, and what is the agenda here in terms of smart cities in general? M: Well, these so -called smart cities and 15-minute cities of ours, they are being sold to us as being green and healthy. And at the same time, people should live in their own neighborhoods and be happy being in them, where everything is in their own surroundings, and you don't need to go out. And if you need a car - because they're made car-free zones - so if you need to go out, you better share a car with somebody else. They've made hubs outside of cities, where you can share your car and share bicycles. D: This is really in the planning here? M: It is not only really in the planning, but it's already being applied. D: Here in Amsterdam or in small towns outside? M: In small towns, in municipalities - all over Holland. D: So if I want, you could tell me what town to go to, and I could see the smart city plan being implemented right now. M: Definitely. Yeah. D: Have you seen these towns? M: Well, we're already seeing them growing. And by 2025, so in about three months' time, the city of Amsterdam is going to introduce zero-carbon emission zones. And diesel trucks and vans are not allowed to enter our cities. They are introducing healthy and green cities. And at the same time, they're making hubs alongside, on the borders of cities... D: And that's where your shared car will be? M: Exactly. D: Tell me how you got started in this. You mentioned that one time, there was a street, and you saw something unusual. M: Yeah. This was last year, in 2023. There was a pilot (test): so Weesper Knip - it's one of the busiest streets in Amsterdam - and they blocked it on both sides. So there was no traffic going in and out of Amsterdam. And they blocked it for six weeks. So a lot of people got really annoyed, but also really alarmed, because the ambulances were not able to pass through. And a lot of accidents happened. And the municipality of Amsterdam said, OK, we did this research into this pilot, to make Amsterdam more green and healthy. But yeah, maybe it's not working out that good, and you know what we'll do? We introduced an intelligent entrance. D: And what does that consist of? M: By intelligence entrance, they mean that they put in streets driver recognition cameras. D: Oh no! M: License plate recognition cameras, ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras. D: So license plate and facial recognition is in the planning? M: Not – oh sorry, No, not a facial recognition. They do have this, but not with the drivers. Yeah. So in the 1st of January 2025, 14 municipalities will introduce these zero-carbon emission zones. And they get fined when they enter with a diesel truck or van. So, you see all these small tradesmen, like market traders and plumbers, they can't get in and they can't afford it. And they don't want it. They don't want to swap to an electric car. D: Right, right. Would you say that Holland is sort of acting as a guinea pig, as sort of a test case for the rest of the world? M: Actually, no. That's what you often hear people say. But I think the same thing is going on in Germany with the cities. They also introduce zero-emission zones. And, and they do the same in, in Belgium, in France, in Portugal and in Spain. And actually, you see that the financing is coming from the European Union through all these programs called Horizon 2020 and Interreg and Seven Seas. And, the Green Deal, all the governments signed the Green Deal. The governments who work along with, the United - the European Union. Yeah, they all follow up on the Green Deal. So, they’re all applying these policies. D: Yes. I'm just coming from North America, from the States. I'm imagining that if it's successful here, it will be implemented in USA and Canada, Australia, all around eventually. M: Yeah. Yeah. I think so. D: Now, besides making driving problematic by not having your own car and having to - I don't know how - to get out to the outskirts, to the hub, to get your shared car, what other - I mean, I read much of a long description of this from the Dutch government on what it's all going to consist of. It looked all very friendly, eco-friendly and nice and happy people jogging in the park. And it was done really professionally. But what are some of your other reservations or things you don't like about the idea of 15 minute cities and smart cities, personally? M: Well, you see that they're not working out at all because people really are resistant against the smart city agenda. And the more and more you put up cameras and you use driver license plate recognition, it's not working out. And what people also are aware of, or becoming more aware of, is that at the same time the parking places are being removed. So, in Amsterdam by the end of 2025, 10.000 (parking) places will have been removed. D: And it's already almost impossible to find a parking spot. M: It is very difficult. And the parking places are going up. So, the parking... D: Oh, the price. M: Yes, the prices are going up and the new parking permits are no longer being issued. D: Huh. Yes. Oh, we were just … M: So, that's really a problem for a lot of citizens. Dan: Yes. We were in the UK for a week previous to coming here. And I did rent a car. And sometimes I get the feeling they're doing everything they can to make driving, not fun. M: Exactly. D: ...And problematic. Same here? M: Yes. Same here... D: They don't want us driving. M: Another thing is that to enforce these policies, they are putting up these driver plates recognition cameras and people don't like it. And they put bollards in roads so people can't pass through. It is terrible. And alongside this, in our houses, smart meters are being installed. And transformator houses are being installed everywhere in Amsterdam. And the last two years … D: What's a transformator house? M: Transformator houses for the electricity. Okay. Because this whole thing to switch off from gas to electricity. You need a lot of electricity and therefore you need, the transformator houses – transformer houses. Oh, yes, yes And the next few years, the coming years, there are going to be 50.000 transformer houses being installed in residential areas. And people don't like it because they give noise and electricity fields. D: So until now, like heating your water, your hot water and your stove and so forth is generally gas. M: It was all done on gas D: which is fairly clean burning. M: Of course, we know it's clean burning, but they don't like the fossil fuels, these climate people. D: Was Holland affected as much as Germany by the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline, I wonder? M: Oh, definitely! Yeah, yeah. And they … We had big gas fields in the north of Holland and they said they were going to close them. And they have been closed. But they want to make this transition, this energy transition towards electricity. And so you see all around Holland data centers are being built. And there's a big one being built, a mega data center from Google in the north of Holland. Google bought land to build their data center. D: Oh, no, “fantastic”. M: Yeah, it's “fantastic”. Yeah (sarcastic) D: Just curious, like when they attacked and they blew up the Nord Stream pipeline then Germany and in Holland of course, they're kind of in a fix for their energy supply. And with all this transition to green, do they have enough electricity? Do they have enough power coming from electricity through wind turbines and, I don't know,? do you use nuclear here? M. No! No, they actually don't have enough electricity power and that's why we have net-congestion in Holland and areas are without electricity supply. Yeah. Because these wind turbines only give electricity when the wind is blowing. There is not always sun, especially really not much at all in the winter times. So it is not working out. And people are realizing it more and more that it is not a steady electricity grid. D: Yeah. What about solar? I lived in Japan for many years and you can drive through the hills, the mountains here and there, and you'll see a gigantic 10, 15, 20 acre swath of what was green, now just a big, huge solar farm. Is that sort of thing going on here? M: Yeah. Same is going on here. D: But they get way less bright, powerful sun here than they do in Japan, so… again. M: Yeah. And then we are all living together on a really tiny piece of land. Holland is very small. So these solar farms and wind turbines, they're next to our living areas. And a … alot of people are warning about the health risks. Plus it looks awful. D: Yeah. You know, sometimes I wonder... with all this move towards electric and digital and smart cameras and all this stuff, that's an excellent control grid so they can control our movements. M: Yeah, it is. D: But also, since it doesn't even make sense, I also wonder if it's about wrecking the economy. M: It is about wrecking the economy! And that's what Agenda 2030 is about. Yeah. It's about wrecking our economy! Yes. Because these transitions like the digital transition, the energy transition, the smart cities, they're not working out. And it is meant to wreck - because this is Agenda 2030 and the Great Reset. D: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm glad you say that there's quite a bit of public opposition to it. M: Definitely. D: So what do you have in the way of solutions? M: Our biggest solution - or one of the solutions: I think there are many solutions. There are many solutions on many different aspects. But what we found - and actually Else van Hamelen, a wonderful Dutch journalist - she found out about the national strategy the government wrote. And it's a strategy on the spatial planning and environment. D: Was this the 123-page report you sent me? M: Yes, it is. D: Okay, good... M: And it was written in 2021, during the lockdown. And it was presented to us. It is about - in it, the government says, Holland is going to meet urgent social challenges, such as climate warming and climate change. And we need to go to digital connectivity and accessibility for all and housing, which is a really big problem in Holland. And you see that our government, our municipalities, are applying this new strategy plan in our own municipalities. And this is where one of our hopes lie. Because each municipality had to write down a new strategy for planning – for spatial planning and the environment. And all these transitions and Agenda 2030 are in these new strategies. So people can go to their town hall together with local parties who serve our interests. And they can speak in the town hall and say: listen, we don't want it - we don't want wind turbines. We don't want solar panels on our streets, we don't want to transformer houses. And people are actually really doing it. D: That's good... M:... They're really going to their town halls. D: That's really good to hear. M: And they say no, we want our cars in our residential areas, we don't want smart cities and we want privacy we don't want our data to go to big data centers as Google. D: And...People are not so cynical here that they think the government's never gonna listen to us. Do you think there's a pretty good chance that with public... M: Yeah, there's a pretty good chance... D: Good! M: ...because people do really noticing that it is not working out - these healthy, green, sustainable agendas, they're not working out because they, we, cannot pay our bills. Food prices have gone up and nobody's buying electricity cars. D: They're being destroyed in America... M:... There is net congestion, so it's not working out and people are noticing in their daily lives that this agenda is finished! But because you know all these workers from municipalities and ministries they're already implementing these legislations so it's - it's going on on two sides, the citizens who are saying no, we don't want it and they're not buying it, yet at the same time these agendas are still running. D: So we have to keep a sharp eye, a hawk's eye on our legislators. M: Yes. Definitely, wherever we are yeah yeah D: I've had Maartje move a little closer because the sun is starting to creep in - I have a question. I've been here just a few days, a couple days actually. We've spent two nights here and I noticed a lot of places don't even accept cash when you go in. So the first place, I ordered my coffee we were ready to sit down and I pulled out my euros, which I thought was legal tender but they would have nothing to do with it and so I left and went to another place... M: Good! D: But after a while we got pretty hungry and so I just grabbed my plastic – took out the card . Is there a movement here to encourage people to use cash? M: Oh, yeah, there are many movements and we always say to each other, don't buy your food and drink at the supermarket. Only pay cash. And if you cannot pay cash, leave. And say to the people, please, cash is also a valuable way of paying and you should allow it. And then we don't come back. And it's really working out because a lot of places are letting people pay with cash more and more. D: That is good! And that is really good to hear! M: Yeah, don't buy at your supermarket. Go to a local farm. D: Exactly! M: ...and buy your food there. D: Do you have farmer's markets here? M: Yes, farmer's markets Yeah. D: Good! And I did notice that a couple of places were so busy. They were just signalling, no, no, we don't take cash and I kind of moved on. But one place, you could see a sympathetic look from the waiter or the cashier, they were signalling: yeah, we don't like it either, you know, but we're just required to. M: Yeah, that's great. D: And I would also say: stay away - if you can, stay away from chain restaurants. M: Oh, yeah, definitely! D: Because there's a corporate structure that is making us use cards. M: Yeah, yeah. Don't go to big companies. Go local. D: Right. Yes... Okay. Well, great. What else? Anything else? Did you want to talk about these books? Or did you want to talk about other solutions? M: I recommend these books! This is one that Jakob Nordengart just wrote and published in 2024. And another one is from Professor Kees van der Pel. And he translated this book in English. I think in a lot of languages. And it's called Pandemic of Fear ( wc/ww: see actual book title). Because the pandemic, the so-called pandemic, COVID, it was scaremongering. And it didn't serve. It was a set off. D: Yeah. To prepare us for everything. M: Exactly. D: And this one's called Rockefeller. It's about the Rockefeller family. M: Yes. And he's talking about the United Nations being funded and financed by the Rockefeller family. ...It has nothing to do with peace. D: Right! Right, and 2024 publication. So it's got up to date material on everything we need to know. M: It's a wonderful book. And you see the climate agenda meeting with the digital agenda. D: Good. No, not good! M: Not good, but it's good that there's a lot of awareness, information on it. D: Well, then this interview ends on a positive note, I think. If you think that the will is here in Holland among the public… M: Oh, yeah, more and more. D: Good! ...to put the brakes on all of this - then that's a message we can send everywhere! M: Yeah, and people should read. Their strategy - national strategy, or their strategy from their municipality on spatial planning and the environment, because agenda 2030 and the new urban agenda is put right down into it. D: They don't hide it. You can find it. M: They don't hide it. So you can go to your town hall with a lot of other citizens. Make sure that you go into your town hall with a lot of other citizens and join local parties who serve your interests and speak out on all these topics we talked about. D: Excellent. Okay. M: That's wonderful. D: Great. I think that's good final advice for this. We'll wrap it up here. Maartje thank you so much for inviting us. M: You're welcome. D: Okay. Great! M: It was nice speaking to you. D: It was great!

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Sources/Links: Draft – National Strategy on Spatial Planning and the Environment